Bobby Robson has admitted that he has narrowed down the search for a new coach to "one or two people."

But the Newcastle United boss will retain Geordie boy John Carver as his right hand man and first-team coach.

Robson said today: "John Carver has responded very well to the situation which arose when Mick Wadsworth left .

"I gave him his head and I have been very impressed with him. He has taken more responsibility on board and more work and he has handled it all.

"He is out on the training pitch with me every day along with Reserve team coach Tommy Craig, goalkeeping coach Simon Smith and fitness coach Paul Winsper.

"They have all had to do more work since Mick left and they could not have coped better."

Robson could be excused from not wanting to change things as they went into today's match against Manchester United at St James's Park with an unbeaten record stretching back 12 games.

And knowing that with normal luck they would have added both Chelsea and Sunderland to the scalps of Middlesbrough and Brentford.

The United boss added: "When Mick left I felt there was no need to panic.

"I felt it was best to wait and get the right man in rather than get a big name we really did not want.

"So I decided to handle things along with John Carver for a while and we are both happy at the way things have gone.

"We will still need someone in the future - and I have narrowed it down to one or two people."

Carver was promoted to first-team coach by Ruud Gullit. He knows he is not the big name some fans might perhaps have expected, but he is a Geordie and he has the respect of the United players.

n Leeds boss David O'Leary has urged Premiership referees to follow the example set by arguably the game's best whistle-blower in Pierluigi Collina and start exercising their common sense.

n The call comes in the wake of the misconduct charge laid against Lee Bowyer and Danny Mills in relation to using foul and abusive language towards match officials.

n Both players face a further three-match suspension in addition to the one-game ban they have already served following their dismissals for two bookable offences during the clash with Arsenal at Highbury last month.

n "At the start of every season we have the same old story where here's a lot of bookings and dismissals, but then we settle down for a few weeks," said O'Leary.

n "This season I think everybody got carried away with referees going professional, but refereeing, if you look at somebody like Pierluigi Collina is about using good common sense all the time."